Supporting device for automobile bumpers



Dec. 4 1923. 11,476,311

L... M. SINGER SUPPORTING DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILE BUMPERS Filed D60. 20, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTUR Dec. 4 1923.

L. M. SINGER SUPPORTING DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILE BUMPERS Filed Dec. 20, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 45% il v I 1 i MH H H IIHHH WWW 5 4 Ig-5. F" 4-* 7 ;f=(iilfllhi H 16 9 4 1% x v 5 EST .5- a y i u iil'ilillli Mm 1 mi k/gx -\16 lll WM.

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- to guard against it, the outer Patented Dec. 4:, 1923.

LOUIS M. SINGER, 0T3 TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA.

SUPPORTING DEVICE FOR AUTDIEGBILE BULXEPERS.

Application filed. December 1922. Serial No. 828,082.

To all mmm it meg (7071,6659?! Be it known that 1, Louis l /i. Sultana, resident of the city Toronto, in the county Yo Province of Ontario. Canada, subject of the King oi. Great Britain, have invented certain new and useful im roveme s in Supporting Devices for llLOlTxG- b.-. Bumpers, oi which the following is a specification.

This invention relates particular v to tlvices for securing the supporting a r automobile bumpers to the channel bars which usuall the side i'nembers oi the chassis oi"? ale in such a manner that any one set of connections is adapted for use with many dii ferent makes of vehicles.

it has been proposed in the past to clamp & P'POrting member or members to the channel bar side member by means of hook bolts engaging one of the flanges of the channelled member adapted to draw the supporting member as; t

4 net the web of die channel but, unless special provision is made ends of the hook bolts tend to sag so that the supporting members are not held flat st the web of the channel member, which is not only objectionable on the ground of appearance but also reduces the eihciency of the device. Other d vices previously employee which were not subject to the aforesaid objection were too complicated and expensive. My object therefore is to devise a form of clamp which will take the place of book bolts while possessing equal simplicity, which will not at the outer side of the channel member but will clamp the supporting member flatly against the web of the channel. A further object is to so constr ct the device that a bumper may thereby be fitted to any one of a large number of different models of chassis by the one de vice and so that the device docs ot require to be made in righ s and le .5

be used at either side of the automobile ed to make the device EtCljllSfizElF-lfi that a bumper may be supported in different positions on any given chassis.

l attain my object by means of the constructions hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l is a side elevation showing part of a channel side member of the chassis of an automobik and part of a bumper secured thereto in accordance with my invention;

. 2 a side elevation of the supporting side elevation ofa clamp member h the supporting arm is adjust-ably pivote l an end elevation of the clamping r and clamp bar secured. in position ch nnel member, the channel member shown in section;

5 a section through the adjustable 7 al connection between the supporting arm and clamp member;

lfig. 6 a side elevation showing one of the g arms of the bumper formed ini the impact receiving member connected to the channel member by two In.rlependent clamp devices; and

l 7 a cross section on the line 77 in coking towards the right. 1 is a side of the chassis of an aue of the common channel form, the g at the outer side. 2 is a bumper,

rear-war -dly extending part 3 forming a supportin arm. This arm may be integral with the impact receiving'portion of the bumper as shown in Figs. 6 and 7 but is preferably a separate part as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings.

a hen the supportin arm is formed as a separate part, it is pivotally connected with a clamp member 4: as to be angularly adj ustable relative thereto in a vertical plane, the specific construction of this'connection be} ingr hereinafter described.

The clamp member t is preferably roughly triangular in outline as shown particularly in side elevation, and is adapted at its lower part to contact with the outer face of the web of the channel member 1.

Eat opposite ends at one side of the are formed lugs 5 provided with holes 6 through which clamp bars may pass. At the angle of the triangle opposite the side on which are located the lugs 5 is formed a substantially circular boss 7, which is offset so that it is spaced from the web of the channel member when the clamp member is in position, thus providing room for the head of the pivot bolt 8 which extends through the lug. This pivot bolt, it

will be noted, is symmetrically positioned relative to the holes 6 so that the clamp member may be used indiite-rentiy at either the'right or left hand side of the chassis cf the automobile.

The pivot bolt extends, as described, through the boss 7 and also through the boss 9 formed on the rearward end or the supporting arm 3. A nut 10 threaded on the end of the bolt provides means for clamping the two bosses together. lVhile the two parts may be irictionally held from movementby tightening up the nut 10, it is preterable to provide an interlocking engagement, and the faces of the two bosses are therefore formed with radial ribs or corrugations 11 adapted to interlock with one another. The construction described enables the supporting arm to be extended at the proper angle to support the bumper no matter what may be the position of the clamp member e on the downwardly curved forward end of the channel member 1. I am also enabled to support the bumper in ditferent positions tore-and-att or" the chassis as the connections hereinafter described may be applied to the channel bars to give the bumper the required position and the bumperthen levelled by angularly adjusting the part 3 on the part 4:.

In order that the bolt may not be required to take the full stress of impact transmitted to the supporting arm, I form. on the eupporting arm an arc-shaped rib 12, which is adapted to engage the arc-shaped edge 13 of the boss 7 as shown particularly in Fi 5.

A Very important part of my invention lies in the specific construction of the clamp ing device, which includes the clamp member 41; and one or more clamp bars 14:. In the form of my invention shown in Figs. 1 to 5, each clamp bar is formed with around shank 15 adapted to pass through one or the holes 6 and threaded at its outer end for engagement by a nut 16. Each clamp bar is adapted to extend under the adjacent flange of the channel member, preferably without touching the same, and to extend round or span its inner edge and extending round the flange to a position to engage the inner side of the web of the channel member opposite part of the clamp member l, whereby, when the nuts 16 are set up, the web is tightly gripped between the clamp member and the ends of the clamp bars.

It is desirable that the shanks oi the clamp bars should fit closely in the holes in the clamp member to prevent the said member tilting on said-shanks.

In Figs. 6 and 7 two clamp members l are provided, one for each clamp bar. These, preferably, have their lugs 5 extended partly under the flange of the channel memher to prevent the clamp members from turning. The supporting arm 8, which is integral with the bumper, lies against the outer faces oi? this clamp member l and is secured thereto through the medium of the clamp members 14 and nuts 16 These clamp bars are in all essential respects similar to the clamp bars '14, but their inner ends do not extend quite to the inner side of the web of the channel member, the differencebeing made up by a separate shim 17, the result, however, being practically the same, as the shim be considered either as a thickening of the web of the channel member or else as a non integral portion of the clamp bar.

In the preferred construction, however, the inner end of each clamp member which extends preferably substantially parallel to the shank, is or" sufiicient length to contact with the inner side of the web as indicated in Fig. 4 ot the drawings. The device may be so arranged that the inner end of each clamp bar will contact with the inner side of the web to as great an extent as possible in a direction transverse 01"" the channel. It is also desirable that the outer side of the bend in the clamp bar should not extend too far inwardly at he inner edge of the flange which the clamp bar spans, as there is fre quently very little space between this edge and some other portion of the vehicle. Both these objects may be attained by flattening the bar as shown without reducing the cross sectional area 0t metal, so that adjacent the edge of the flange the greatest cross sectional dimension of the bar is parallel to the edge of the flange. The inner end of the bar is twisted so that the greatest dimensions of the end which contacts with, the web is transverse or the channel, that is, it extends in a direction between the flanges. This shaping of the ends tends to position the supporting member or members in their proper vertical position and brings the clamping point of the web between the two clamping members well away from the "flange. It is this location of the clamping point which ensures that the supporting member or members will closely hug the web of the channel member without any tendency to sag or drop.

What I claim is 1. Means for connecting an automobile bumper to a channel frame member including a member adapted to lit against the web of the channel member; and two bent onepiece clamp bars each extending through the web abutting member and adapted to span one of the flanges or the channel and engage the inner surface of the web; and means for setting up the clamp bars.

2. In means for connecting an automobile bumper to a channel frame member, a clamp member adapted to lie againstthe outer side of the web of the channel having two openings therein; securing means passing through said openings; an outwardly ofi'set part formed on the clamp member; a supporting arm pivotally supported on said part to swing in a vertical plane on an axis symmetrically positioned relative to the openings for the securing means; means for clamping the supporting arm in different sitions.

3. In means for connecting an automobile bumper to a channel frame m uber a clamp member adapted to lie against the outer side of the web of the channel having two openings therein; securing means ing through said openings; on outwai y oil'set part formed on the clamp member; a supporting arm pivotally supported said part to swing in a vertical plane on an axis symmetrically positioned relative to the openings for the securing means; means for clamping the supporting arm in different positions including radial interloc ing corrugations on the arm and clampmember.

ln means for connecting an automobile bumper to a channel frmne member, a clamp member adapted to lie against the outer side of the web of the channel havin J two openings therein; securing means pass ing through said openings; an outwardly offset part formed on the clamp member; a supporting arm pivotally supported on said part to swing in a vertical plane on an axis symmetrically "positioned relative to the openings "for the securing means; means for clamping the supporting arm in dillerent positions; and arc-shaped engaging ribs on the arm and clamp member adapted to take stresses endwise of the arm towards the pivot;

5. In means for connecting an automobile bumper to a channel frame member, aclamp member adapted to lie against the outer side of the web of the channel having two openings therein; securing means passing through said openings; an outwardly offset part formed on the clamp member; a shipper-ting arm pivot-ally supported on said part to swing in a vertical plane on an axis symmetrically positioned relative to the openings for the securing means; means for clamping the supporting arm in difterent positions including radial interlocking corrugations on the arm and clamp member; and arc-shaped engaging ribs on the arm and clamp member adapted to take stresses endwise of the arm towards the pivot.

6. In means for connecting an automobile bumper to a channel frame member, a clamp member adapted to lie against the outer side of th web of the channel having two openings therein; securing means passin? through said openings; an outwardly o set part formed on the clamp member; a supporting arm pivotally supported on said the clamp membe part to swing in verti L ltlO 4. ln means rr bumper to a 1p membe er a ced means 1 1,. s bumper a clamp member rovi m for secuw into the mobile; an out" l i I 11 chassis a supper ng arm pivotally supported on said part to swing in a vertical plane on an axis symmetrically pos to the positionsot the sev means; means for cl mping the sup arm in different positions including nterlocking corrugations on the arm ano. damp member.

9. In means for connecting an automobile bumper to a channel frame member, a clamp member provided with spaced means for securing it to the chassis; or an automobile; 100 an outwardly offset part formed on the clamp member; a supporting arm pivotally supported on said part to swing in a vertical plane on an axis symmetrically positioned relative to the positions of the securing means; means for clamping the supporting arm in different positions; and arc-shaped engaging ribs on the arm and clamp member adapted to take stresses endwise of the arm towards the pivot.

l0. In means for connecting an automobile bumper to a channel frame member a clamp member provided with spaced'means for securing it to the chassis 0:? an automo bile; an outwardly oliset part formed on the clamp member; a supporting arm pivotally supported on said p-artto swing in a vertical plane on an axis symmetrically positioned relative to the positions of the securmeans; means for clamping the supportarm in different positions including radial interlocking corrugations on the arm clamp member; and arc-shaped engagrrribs on the arm and clamp member adapted to take stresses endwise or" the arm tr vards the pivot. i V i in means for connect ng an automobile bumper to a channel frame member, a clamp member provided with spaced means for securing it to the chassis of an automo t, an axis symmetricbile; an outwardly onset 1 21" cia-mp nieinber; e supportin, :npported on said part sw e securing eiative to the positions o:

sngpoi'tmg i; eons; means for clamping ti e 4 n in (ilifiQTQili? positions iiehiding radial 'niierlocking corrugations pro ecting from he aeent surfaces of the 211111 and clamp ember.

12, Means for connecting auton'iohiie humper to ciizinnei. theme member includ- Eng 21, member adapted to fitegeinst the web otthe mannei member; 2L bent clamp bar extending tnsouggh said ineniheiu sp nning 1 of the channel member led Wit All nine eno the QRJLFLQI11- 10h adapted. to engage the inner surface of the WZb; said extremity being rineo with a. nroiection acieoted to some .& L l

end from the to corresnondingiy ice its line of thrust from said flange;

to enveize the inner e weh. said extremity heing n a pro the emi om the nenge to correspondingly space its to o thru 5 said flange and the chimp her at i being flattened. to decrease its thicknes flattening being in a direction pavsile o 1e eege of the inemhei'; 2i hen-t chimp her through said: member spanning; an adjacent oi the channel member, her being: round at its outer end but .eneci from. the bend to the inner end to decrease its thiekness and increase its Width, the flattening at the heno being in e direction parallel to the edge of the flange of the channel member and the inner end being twisted to bring the ez-ztieniity of the end to a position with its greatest oiinension treneYerse of" the channel, said extremity being adapted to engage the inner surface of the web; and means for setting up the clamp her.

Signed at Toronto, Canada, this lth day of Dec. 1922.

LOUIS M. SINGER. 

